Crate



March 20, 1934. 3 w: ROBERTSON 1,951,676

CRATE Filed July 29, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor C. RObGIZ SOVZ March 20, 1934. C W RQBERTSON 1,951,676

CRATE Filed July 29. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fltlorney March 20, 1934. Q w ROBERTSON 1,951,676

CRATE Filed July 29, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 3 r I: q

I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I I Inventor Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRATE Charlie Walter Robertson, Tyler, Tex., assignor 4 Claims.

My invention relates generally to crates, and particularly to crates for packing and transporting pint and quart baskets, such as berry baskets, and an important object of my invention is to provide crates of this kind which are easier to assemble and manufacture, and which are stronger, and enable transporting the berries or the like in better condition. It is also an important object of my invention to provide crates to answer a demand for a crate containing twelve one pint or twelve one quart baskets of the type described, rather than twentyfour one pint or twenty-four one quart baskets, to contain which the present form of crates are constructed.

It is also an important object of myinvention to provide a method of making crates of the type described which saves considerable labor and lumber and enables making all of the parts going into the construction of the crates with one kind of machinery, rather than requiring several different kinds to manufacture the several different parts.

It is therefore an important object of my invention to considerably reduce the number of parts in crates of, this general class, and to provide means for holding the baskets in place, and means to hold the contents of the baskets within the respective baskets.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide ends for the type of crates described contents.

It is also an important object of my invention to construct crates of the type described in a manner to prevent tootlose packing of the crates while loaded in a box-car or truck, and by this means and by other special means to provide adequate ventilation for the contents of the baskets.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide in a crate construction of the type described means for preventing shifting of the baskets and spilling of the contents of the baskets should the cratebe stood on end or upside down.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a method of manufacturing crates of the type described wherein lumber of a character which would ordinarily go to waste is economically utilized.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the embodiment 60 with the cover in place.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 1 with the cover removed.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional 65 View taken through Figure 3 approximately on the line 4-4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3 approximately on the line E 5-5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through one of the tapered baskets or cups.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the triangular truss-bars utilized on the ends of the 75 underside of the cover.

A demand has developed for a type of crate which holds twelve one pint or twelve one quart baskets, in one tier, rather than twenty-four one pint baskets or twenty-four one quart baskets in 580 two tiers, and to meet this demand, and at the same time reduce the cost of manufacture and produce a superior crate fulfilling the objects of the invention set forth above, and other useful ends, I construct a preferred embodiment of the invention-as, follows Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the numeral 5 refers generally to the embodiment which is composed of solid ends 6,7, which have a normally erect position revealed in Figure 4. The opposite ends of the ends 6, 7, are bevelled so that when the side wall forming members 8, 9, are nailed to the opposite ends of the ends 6 and 7, the side walls have the same taper or inclination as the sides of the tapered baskets 10 which are of the well-known conventional form.

Nailed to the bottom edge of the ends 6, 7, are three longitudinal members 11 which are transversely spaced as indicated at 12 to provide yentilation spaces. The members'll are secured in the manner described so as to provide space at their side edges for the outside narrower members 13 which are likewise spaced from the members 105 11 as indicated at 14 in Figure 2.

It will be obvious that the inclination of the side walls 8 and 9 being the same as that of the baskets 10 and the length and width of the space defined by the ends 6, 7, and the side walls.8, .9,

'agance called for in the manufacture of the straight out ends.

they will rest equally on the top edges of adjacent baskets in the manner indicated in Figure 4. This arrangement not only holds the baskets down on the floor of the crate, but also prevents the contents of the baskets from spilling over into a neighboring row of baskets Whenever the crate is tilted or inverted.

The end truss-bars 19, 20, are inverted triangular in cross section to provide bevelled faces .which aid in the seating thereof within the upper rpartiof the ends 7 when the cover is being put in place, and also avoids injury to the contents of the adjacent rows of baskets.

For securing the cover 15 in place, portions of the members 16 extending beyond the truss-bars 19, 20, rest upon the upper edges of the ends 6,

7, and laths 21, 22, are placed over such portions and secured in place by nailing or the like-means. It is to be noted that a single nail will be found to be adequate to hold the laths 21, 22 in place,

zwhereby the cover 15 is secured in place.

It is believed that it will be conceded that the provision of my crates will enable a greater sale of the products usually packed in the kind of baskets described, especially when I make it .possible to make such crates at a reduced cost and yet transport the said products in better condition.

It will be observed that by my provision of the bevelled ends 6, '7, I eliminate the necessity for having many different kinds of machinery, and 'make it possible for a small mill operator to manufacture the crates economically and to do away .with trays, separators, panelled ends, and other parts, the use of which is avoided by me as unxnecessary, without any sacrifice, but to gain the "advantages described herein and other obvious iadvantages.

Because of the bevelled ends on the ends 6, '7, an amount of lumber equivalent to one lineal inch on every end is saved by me, and these ends being relatively narrow can be made of lumber which would otherwise be thrown away as waste. The saving mentioned is in contrast to the extrav- Another economical feature of my crate is the use of lumber of the same thickness for the side walls, bottom, and top, and in such form that f .the most unskilled person may correctly assemble the same.

The result is that I am able to manufacture my one-half crate for less than onehalf of the cost of manufacturing a full crate, of twenty-four pint or twenty-four quart basket Because I pack only one layer of baskets inspection of each basket may be easily made by 'removing the top, whereas in crates containing .two or more layers, this cannot be done.

Another consideration is that with the elirrnnation 10f superposed layers, crushing and lack of ventilation'in lower layers is eliminated.

It will be observed that because of the construction of my top, it may be readily removed for inspection purposes and restored to position without in any way damaging the same, and the top when in position is adequately strong to support the weight of a person Without crushing or bruising the contents of the crate. It will be observed that my top is a combination top and divider in one unit, the provision of which eliminates an extra cost.

An important consideration recognized by me in the construction of my crate is the proper arrangement for ventilation. In this connection it will be noted that between each row of berry boxes there is a transverse space 23 and a 1ongitudinal space 24. End spaces 25, 26, defined by the sides of the boxes and the ends 6, 7, respectively, are provided. Adequate ventilation through the top is provided by the spacings l7. Adequate ventilation of the transverse spaces 23 is provided by the spacings 12, and the end spaces 25, 26, are likewise ventilated by the spacings 12. i

It will be noted that even if the bottom of the crate be placed upon a surface, the man'- ner of attachment of the bottom forming members 11 provide ventilation spaces 2'7, 28, on opposite ends of the spacings 12. Should the crate be inverted, the cleats or laths 21, 22, raise the top sufficiently above the supporting surface to provide for free circulation of air to enter the spacings 1'7 in the top.

a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention there- 19 Although I have shown and described herein to, and any change or changes may be made in 410 materials, structure, and arrangement ofparts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A one-layer crate for holding fruit baskets,

bottom members attached to the lower edges of said end members, side wall forming members of substantial width attached to the angulated ends of said end members, said side wall forming wall members thereby conforming substantially with the sides of the fruit boxes. 7 2. A one-layer crate for holding fruit baskets, said crate comprising a pair of single piece solid perpendicular end members the opposite ends of which are cut off at an angle approximating the slant of the sides of said fruit baskets, spaced bottom members attached to the lower edges of said end members, side wall forming members of substantial Width attached to the angulated ends of said end members, said side wall forming wall members thereby conforming substantially with the sides of the fruit boxes, and a top comprising spaced elements resting on the upper edges of said end members, and a cleat secured to the upper side of said top at each end thereof for spacing an object placed thereon from 1510 said top.

3. A one-layer crate for holding fruit-baskets, said crate comprising a pair of single piece solid perpendicular end members the opposite ends of which are cut off at an angle approximating .145

the slant of the sides of said fruit baskets, spaced bottom members attached to the lower edges of said end members, side wall forming members of substantial width attached to the angulated ends of said end members, said side wall forming wall members thereby conforming substantially with the sides of the fruit boxes, and a top comprising spaced elements resting on the up per edges of said end members, and a cleat secured to the upper side of said top at each end thereof for spacing an object placed thereon from said top, and second cleats on the underside of said top and arranged to rest upon upper edges of said fruit baskets to prevent sagging of intermediate portions of said top.

4. A one-layer crate for holding fruit baskets, said crate comprising a pair of single pieces solid perpendicular end members the opposite ends of which are cut off at an angle approximating the slant of the sides of said fruit baskets, spaced bottom members attached to the lower edges of said end members, side wall forming members of substantial width attached to the angulated ends of said end members, said side wall forming wall members thereby conforming substantially with the sides of the fruit boxes, and a top comprising spaced elements resting on the upper edges of said end members, and a cleat secured to the upper side of said top at each end thereof for spacing an object placed thereon from said top, and second cleats on the underside of said top and arranged to rest upon upper edges of said fruit baskets to prevent sagging of intermediate portions of said top, the endmost ones of said second cleats having a downwardly and outwardly slanting inner side designed to avoid crushingly contacting the fruit in the baskets upon the upper edge of which said endmost second cleats rest when said cover is put in place.

CHARLIE WALTER ROBERTSON.

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